Improvement in show-cases



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY HOUGHTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T0 JOHN. THORNTON & 00., or sAMn PLACE.

i IMPROVEMENTIN SHOW-CASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,567, dated January 23, 1877; application filed July 1, 1876.

the boxes in aninclined position with the upper card of buttons parallel with and close to the glass, and is fitted with special conveniences for withdrawing the boxes partially or entirely at will, to obtain access to the contents.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification. Figure 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 a front view, and Fig. 3 a cross-section.

Fig. 1 shows the drawer partly drawn out.

Fig. 3 shows in dotted lines the open position of the front piece, which, actuated by springs, as shown, is an important feature of the construction, and forms, at will, either a door or a shelf.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The main body of the case-is marked A. The inclined glass top is marked a, a shelf or board parallel thereto, A, upright partitions, A A drawer, similarly partitioned, below, is marked D. B is a door at the front, which may be turned down into the position shown in dotted lines, to form a shelf projecting from the front. It turns on hinges b, and is actuated by coil-springs 0, attached by meansof the staples or eyes 72 which tend to hold it firmly in the horizontal position whenever the catch or lock b is operated to allow the door to be opened. The springs prevent the door, which is necessarilylight, from ever assuming a half-closed position under any circumstances.

It is customary to mount this class of buttons upon cards of uniform size, and to pack them in long boxes, also of uniform size. To

exhibit them the cover is removed and in verted, and the box set into it.

The front ends of the partitions A are hollowedout, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the spaces between these partitions and theheight between the flooring A and the glassa are just I adapted to receive them. The stock exhibited in the boxes directly under the glass a may be kept up by re-enforcement from boxes of corresponding styles in the drawer D below. It is important to a proper exhibition of the goods that the buttons be close up and almost in contact with the glass a. To obtain access to the buttons, the catch b is operated, and the door B instantly assumes the horizontal position shown in dotted lines. The lower edge of the door braces against the under side of the board A and is held there by the force of the springs 0. Any desired box may now be drawn entirely out and held with its back end resting on the shelf B; or, if preferred, one box, or any number, or all the boxes, can be drawn partly out and allowed to rest, supported lever-wise, bearing at one point on the front edge of the shelf B and at the back 0 the under side of the glass or.

Pearl buttons and similar buttons are peculiarly difficult goods to handle and properly exhibit. The cards are necessarily flexible, and the quantity of buttons loaded thereon is entirely beyond the stiffness of the card to support. My invention affords facilities for a generally satisfactory exhibition of the entire stock through the glass, and for further examination of any part or the whole with little risk of confusion and misplacing either the boxes in each case or any of the cards in the boxes. The falling door need not be heavy, but is held by the springs firmly open, whether the hinges work with unusual stiffness or in the reverse condition, with an objectionable looseness. One or all the boxes of buttons may be pushed in with any degree of rapidity, without danger of catching and drawing up the hinged support, because the springs 0 hold it stiffly down.

The boxes of cards on exhibition may, if preferred, be dummies, having only one card of buttons on the upper surface, the sales being made from the stocks of corresponding buttons in the drawer below.

I claim as my invention-- As a new article of manufacture, the within-described. show-case, having the inclined transparent top a, the corresponding inclined board A, the falling door B, and actuatingsprings 0, all constructed and arranged to serve as and. for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of June, 1876, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY HOUGHTON.

Witnesses JNo. L. DIBBLE, A. HENRY GENTNER. 

